Fall
by Not So Creative Student
Summary: Hilbert likes Hilda a lot, so when Hilda steps down from her position as Champion and goes missing, Hilbert immediately searches for her. Chessshipping, T to be safe. Have fun, ner vod.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Greetings. This is my first fanfic, so hates and constructive criticism will be tolerated. This may not be as good as other Chessshipping fanfics like Caelitea's Phantasmagoria or some other Chessshipping fanfic, but please bear with me and find some time to read this. My update schedule would be once a week, since I have so much stuff to do, being a high school sophomore and all. If I fail to update on a certain week, I'll make up for it by adding another chapter, and another if I missed 2 weeks. So, mathematically speaking, x=number of weeks I missed, y=1+x, 1 being the number of chapters I'll upload every week. I hope you'll stick with me until the end of this fanfic. Requests will also be accepted. All that aside, sit back and enjoy!**

_**Fall**_

She was one of the best, he knew. One of the smartest and logical persons he knew in his life. What he didn't know was why she abandoned her post as League Champion. He doesn't know why she'd cast away something that she's worked so hard for. So when news came that she stepped down and that he was being called out of his so-called retirement to become Champion again (he doesn't want to know how the League found his apartment in Aspertia), he immediately told the League that Iris might be a more suitable replacement, gathered his things, and left to look for Hilda.

He first goes to League HQ, hoping to find clues as to Hilda's whereabouts. On the way there, he finds a man he was not expecting to see.

_N._

Immediately setting down near N, he shouts at him and asks, "N? What're you doing here? Have you seen Hilda or something?"

"I don't think I do, Hilbert. As to why I'm here, I'm just walking around," N said, a friendly smile on his face. He looked just like that day 2 years ago, when he and Hilda defeated N on his accursed castle.

"You don't know too, huh? Damn it," Hilbert muttered under his breath, though N was able to catch his first sentence.

"Tell you what, Hilbert, if I encounter her, I'll tell you where she is immediately. While going around, I'm bound to meet her soon. But you should keep looking for her all the same," N suggested.

Hilbert pondered on N's suggestion, and by the time he decided on something, N was already beginning to leave.

"... Alright, N. But the moment you see her you tell me at once, alright?"

"I find your lack of trust in me very disrespectful. Very well, I shall send for you when I do see her," And with that, N left.

Hilbert stood there for a while, lost in thought. _'What's gotten into you, Hilda?'_

**How was it? Tappity-tap that review button and let me know. OYA!**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: To those who are wondering, I named my first fanfic Fall because when I thought of the name I was playing _Fall of Cybertron_. And about my update scheme, I'm gonna update only when I find the time. Once again, sit back and enjoy, ner vod!**

_**Fall**_

Days passed since Hilbert saw N, but to him it felt like a year. _'C'mon N, please tell me you found her.' _ Now, we all know that Hilbert is a bit star-struck with Hilda, but come on? Isn't that line a little cliché? That aside, Hilbert's searches have also been anything but fruitful. Deciding that he's had enough rest (although, 2 hours of rest anything but good), he decides to go to Undella.

On the way to Undella, atop his Braviary, he remembers that particular time when he and Hilda had a race about who can get to Undella first, Hilbert and Braviary, or Hilda and her Archeops. Embarrassingly, he lost. To add insult to injury, they originally betted on that whoever loses will have to cover the expenses made by the winner for the next 36 hours. Unfortunately for Hilbert, Hilda decided to go to Castelia _after they got to Undella_. To make matters worse, Hilda invited _all of her friends _to go shopping. Even though Hilbert had to explain to his parents why his credit card was issing 200,000 PKD, he thought it was worth it. After all, Hilda was smiling all day.

Returning to the present, Hilbert noticed that he was already in Undella. After returning Braviary, he walked around the small town, because surely, it's not very hard to miss someone like Hilda. After a few minutes, Hilbert decided to go to Caitlin's villa, for the sleepy Elite usually stayed there with her butler Darach, and on certain occasions, Cynthia. When he got there, he found a very unusual sight. Inside the villa there were foam darts-_foam darts_- stuck to walls and all the female Gym Leaders and Cynthia, Iris and _Caitlin_ HOLDING DART GUNS while wearing some sort of spandex suit.

"I-I'm just gonna le-leave n-now," Hilbert blushed and stuttered, distracted by Elesa and Skyla's rather _emphasized_ _feminine _bodies.

After getting out of Caitlin's villa hurriedly, Hilbert muttered to himself, "Great. I can't go seeing _those stuff_ while Hilda's gone. She'd think I'm a pervert."

Seeing that there's nothing to find in Undella, he decided to go to Lentimas, where he'd take a plane to Mistralton. After all, even Pokemon get tired.

After getting to Lentimas by walking, he immediately got a ticket for Mistralton. Surprisingly, he was the only one going there. And more suprising is that his pilot is none other than Skyla.

**Tappity-tap that follow button and review!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Only now did I realize that I didn't put a disclaimer notice on chapters 1 and 2. Anyways, it's my birthday, so I'll be uploading the next chapter maybe a 30 minutes or so, later.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon.**

_**Fall**_

In the plane, there was an awkward situation. Hilbert saw Skyla in spandex some time ago and he didn't want to talk about it. All the while, Skyla was peppering questions to him. He was blocking his mind out for fear of looking at her.

Then, in order to snap him out of his mind-block, Skyla kissed him on the cheek. In a slip that Freud would have been proud of, Hilbert blurted out Hilda. To his embarrassment…

"Nope, it's Skyla!", the redhead beamed, knowing that Hilbert finally was broken out of his unresponsiveness.

"Say, what happened between you and Hilda, she's league champ, right?"

"Was. She left her post, not much of a trail left by her. So I went from the Pokemon League, hearing about the news, to where I am now."

"She's missing?"

"I'm afraid so, that's why I'm looking for her. If it takes me back to Nuvema, I shall follow it!"

"She must be mighty lucky to have a friend like you. Anyways, why were you blacking out on me earlier?"

"I passed through Undella Town and went into Cynthia's house. I saw you girls… doing something… which required spandex… and foam darts… I felt very embarrassed. Sorry about that."

Then Skyla pulled him into a hug.

"It's okay. Now I know why you were blocking me earlier. You wanted to keep faithful to Hilda, and seeing the entire thing unfold…well… next time, I suggest you knock."

"Is this an attempt to give sympathy? I understand. But how did you find out, and why do I feel tears?"

"This is just like a romance novel I've been reading! A girl suddenly disappears, and then her best friend goes to search for her around the region! Hilda's so lucky to have a boyfriend like you!It's so cliché, yet so… romantic. I'm not crying tears of sorrow, but tears of joy to see that there are still stories like that. "

After that emotional outburst, they landed in Mistralton.

"Hey, when you find her, say hi for me!"

"I will! Bye! And thanks for the flight!"

Skyla looked at Hilbert running to Driftveil, and shouted "I know you could find her! Go for it!"

As she walked back to the gym, she felt the fall breeze.

**REVIEWS. REVIEWS NOWHERE TO BE FOUND. SO TAP THAT BUTTON NOW.**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: In this story, Hilda is Clay's niece (from her mother's side, perhaps?). In other news, it's this fic's 4th chapter! Hoorah! And it's my birthday! Double hoorah! And I don't know why I'm writing this at 2 in the morning!**

**Disclaimer: Unfortunately, this birthday boy doesn't own Pokémon.**

_**Fall**_

Hilbert's talk with Skyla gave him newfound spirit to continue in his endeavors. Unfortunately, spirit could only bring you so far, as he began to get tired soon after arriving at Driftveil.

It was night, and the nearby Pokémon Center had all of its rooms full. Because of this, Hilbert decided on crashing onto someone's house, whose owner he hadn't seen in a long time.

"Hilbert? What in the name of Arceus are you doing out here at this time of the night?!" Clay practically yelled at Hilbert.

"Geez, you old-timer, calm down. I just don't have a place to stay since the Center's full. 'Sides, this is important, so I need my rest," Hilbert replied.

"You call me old-timer again and I'm kick you to the curb, got it?" Clay practically growled at Hilbert once Hilbert got inside Clay's house.

Hilbert gulped. "Got it."

After getting checking Clay's guest bedroom, Clay called out to him. "Hey kid, want something' to eat? I haven't eaten dinner yet, and you look like you haven't been fed for' days."

In all actuality, Hilbert isn't starving, he's just a bit hungry. He just looks like he hasn't eaten anything in days because of him not getting enough sleep in between the times he goes out to look for Hilda.

"Sure, Clay. I'm kind of hungry myself."

While eating dinner, Clay proceeds to ask Hilbert a question that's been on his mind ever since Hilbert knocked on his door.

"Ok, kid, spill. What are you doing here?" Clay asked.

With a sigh, Hilbert continued to explain his situation, Hilda's disappearance, and how his searches have been fruitless.

"And I'm running out of places to go to. Do you have an idea as to where she could have gone?"

Clay replied quickly, "Well, I could only imagine that she'd go to Dragonspiral or maybe the PWT. But Dragonspiral's off-limits, even to her. So maybe she'd wanna have a go at it. There's a World Leaders category tournament tomorrow, so maybe you'll encounter her there. After all, she's always wanted to try her hand at PWT, but never really found the time for it."

"You know, that's actually a good idea. Sure, I'll go to PWT tomorrow. Let's just hope that you're right on this one, Clay." Hilbert solemnly replied.

"I hope so too, kid. I hope so too."

They finish dinner without talking, and both go to sleep, with Hilbert planning to go to PWT's World Leaders category tournament the next day.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: I'm sorry for not updating over the weekend (I HATE WRITER'S BLOCK)! This has to be the longest chapter in this story (No shit, Sherlock). This chapter was actually written by my friend, so many thanks go to Flinn (that's what he wants to be called in this anyway)! So, sit back, and enjoy, ner vod.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon. **

_**Fall**_

PWT, PokemonWorld Tournament, whatever it's called. The Pokemon World Tournament was an idea made up by Clay to gather up the skilled trainers of the world. It was a way to test skills or to forge new friendships through battle, between Pokemon and Trainers, or the Trainers was aso made to encourage development in Driftveil city, which should explain why there are many hotels as of present time.

It has been two months since Hilbert went out in Unova to look for Hilda. So far, he ran from the Pokemon League down to Undella, where he encountered…something embarrassing. He then took a plane to Mistralton with Skyla, where she told him words of encouragement. Recently, he stopped by Clay's house amidst the changed landscape to stay for a while before he searches again for Hilda. Clay, being related to Hilda in some way, suggested to him to try out the Pokemon World Tournament, or PWT, to look for Hilda. "She might be in the World Leaders stage!" Clay intoned gruffly before bidding Hilbert a safe journey to the PWT. He then shouted, "Wait! There's a new champion since Hilda left! His name is…" But his voice was lost in the fall breeze, as Hilbert ran straight ahead to the Pokemon World Tournament.

Hilbert arrived at the entrance. "Wow! This place is the place of my dreams!" he exclaimed. "And also hers…" he added wistfully. "But now's not the time to dwell on that! Time to go! Let's do this!" he shouted out loud, attracting the attention of some people. One of them was the former champion of the Hoenn region, Steven. "Might I inquire what you have been going on?" Steven asked Hilbert. "NNNGH! Hoenn Champion Steven!" Hilbert exclaimed. "Just Steven will do. Now please answer my question," Steven replied coolly. Hilbert then told Steven what was going on in his life, why he was here and why he was shouting in the first place. "I see… well, I don't know what to say, but I wish you luck in your endeavor. Are you planning to participate in the tournament?" Steven inquired. "Yes, I must! I might find Hilda!" Hilbert replied excitedly, his blood boiling in anticipation. Steven chuckled and replied, "Well, this Hilda sounds very, very, very special to you. Reminds me of a pair of trainers in my region. That's just my intuition. Where are you planning to participate?" Steven asked, interested in Hilbert for his story. "The World Leaders Competition. I have a feeling she's there. She likes to meet strong people. I guess that's how she met me," Hilbert answered. Steven then said words of encouragement to Hilbert. "Very well, I wish you good luck. And by the by, have you tried calling her?" Steven asked. "She didn't even reply to any of my calls or even send me a message…"Hilbert added sadly. Steven then told him to call again. "Brrrt! Brrrt! Brrrt! Brrrt! Brrrt! Brrrt!"

Somewhere in Unova, an Xtransceiver was ringing; its owner was generally lazing around. She had the same sender for the many missed calls she accumulated. decided to not answer it. But why? Why didn't she just take the easy way out and just turn off her Xtransceiver? Her reason was those close to her heart. She decided to see if he still really cares for her. Ever since she defeated him, he decided to retire to an apartment in Aspertia City. She decided to leave her post because she felt like she lost her own spirit to fight. And so, she keeps her Xtransceiver on, to see whether he cared about her. Her heart smiled at all the missed calls. The smile from within reached outside too. She smiled a beautiful smile, and decided to add one more missed call. And this cycle repeats, for now.

"Ugh. See? She doesn't reply to me. Maybe she's really outside Unova. I just don't want to think about it," Hilbert deadpanned. Steven chuckled and told him to not lose heart and just went inside the building. Hilbert followed.

* * *

When Hilbert entered, he was in awe. It was a gathering of all the gym leaders around the world. He saw most of the girls in Undella. He saw Blue and Red, chatting…at least Blue. He saw Giovanni…wait, isn't he supposed to be a fugitive? Hilbert ignores the thought in his head and sees Iris. Weirdly, the girl is taller, and has a new gaudy outfit. Iris catches Hilbert's gaze and waves to him. "Hey there!" the now older girl exclaims. "Haven't seen you in a long time," Hilbert stated. He then looked at the new outfit and asked who made it. "It was Drayden!" Iris exclaimed. "Don't you think it's cute?" Hilbert then thinks for a while and agrees. However, he can't get away from the mental image that Drayden actually made it. So, he switches topics. "What happened to you?" he queried. Iris then replied, "I became Champion after Hilda left! But then I got beaten by this newcomer with wacky pineapple hair guy named Nate. Gotta say, his team was…pretty nice, but I'm sure you could beat him!" Iris exclaimed. "You are here for the World Tournament, right? Say no more about your reason. I heard from Steven. See ya!" And with that, she ran (fluttered?) away, feeling very excited for the battles up ahead. Hilbert then walked up to the registration counter and registered for the Pokemon World Tournament, the World Leaders Division, using his often-used team of Garchomp, Tyranitar, and Metagross.

The crowd was cheering wild as Hilbert went out to the stage. His first opponent was Clair. Something then broke within Hilbert. He felt like he was burning up. He began to focus exteremly on the objective, to win. "Garchomp, use Dragon Rush!" Hilbert commanded. Garchomp complied and made Clair's Kingdra flinch. Hilbert finished Dragonite off with a Dragon Claw, landing a critical hit. And so, the same generally happened for most of the battle, bar the Salamence which finally knocked out Garchomp, but was taken care of by Tyranitar, who with his mighty Stone Edge wiped out the rest of Clair's team. "It's over…"Clair muttered, walking away in defeat.

And while this happened, in another area of the World Leaders tournament, there was a battle occurring between Nate, the person Iris talked about, and Lenora. "Nate wins and moves on to the next round!" exclaimed the commentator. Nate did not react in any way, except that he continued to have that small smile at his face, content to have won.

For the semi-finals, Hilbert faced against Drayden. "Hey, Drayden! Why did you make Iris that new dress?" Hilbert asked the mayor of Opelucid City. "I told her she could dress up a little," Drayden answered. "But now is the time to fight! Haxorus, go!" Hilbert then commanded Garchomp to start with a Dragon Rush. The amazing thing was, it was a critical hit, while Garchomp was holding the Dragon Gem, leaving Haxorus to a sliver of its stamina, and Haxorus flinched. "A very hard hit!"Drayden exclaimed. Haxorus was then finished off with an Earthquake. Draydenthen sent out Druddigon. Garchomp attacked with Dragon Rush. It made Druddigon flinch, and made Garchomp incur recoil damage from both the Rough Skin and the Rocky Helmet of the Druddigon. At the next turn, Garchomp defeated Druddigon with Dragon Pulse, but was then knocked out by Altaria. Tyranitar picked up the slack for the win._"_This intense feeling that floods me after a defeat... I don't know how to describe it," Drayden simply stated.

"Okay…Now's the finals. Who will I battle?" Hilbert asked to himself as he walked to the stage. Hilbert then saw the opponent. He had shorts, a cool-looking visor and pineapple hair. Most of all, the colors they wore are the same, blue and red. Thinking about what Iris said, and linking it to what he was seeing now, he connected the dots. He was facing the new Unova Champion, Nate. As Nate wouldn't speak for the first word, Hilbert decided to say them. _"_You communicate with Pokémon using feelings, not words! Everything can be understood through Pokémon battles! Let's go!" Hilbert exclaimed. Nate just nodded and said, "Alright!"

For the battle, Nate started out with Samurott, while Hilbert started out with Garchomp. Garchomp was able to get a good Dragon Rush in, but Samurott countered with a Blizzard. Hilbert just thought it off, until he realized that Garchomp was indeed dealt a critical hit, compounded by the super-effectiveness of Ice-type moves against Dragon-types. Garchomp was barely able to hold on. Garchomp then finished off Samurott with a Dragon Claw, but was then knocked out by the Lucario waiting in the wings. Tyranitar then used Earthquake, dealing major damage to Lucario, but Lucario used Close Combat. It was super effective, but it did not affect Tyranitar in a major way. Hilbert thought that it was not very effective, as it looked like the move only winded down Tyranitar by a third. Tyranitar then finished Lucario off with another Earthquake. All of the action was nerve-wracking on both sides. Then, Nate sent out Excadrill and commanded it to use Dig. Hilbert took advantage of this and commanded Tyranitar to use Earthquake. It was, to say the least, very effective, fainting the Excadrill in one hit.

The confetti dropped, and Hilbert was declared the winner. "I guess I dug my own grave, huh?" Nate quipped, but Hilbert shot him down quickly. "Nah, to be honest, you were pretty good. Nearly knocking out my Garchomp by using an Ice-type move was great, just a little more, you could have defeated it in one hit. You got potential Nate, even now as the Unova Champion," he said. "I'll leave you with words someone told me once. Dream your dream!" Nate just looked in confusion as Hilbert ran away.

"Wait!" Nate shouted as he caught up with Hilbert. "You're looking for someone, right?" "Yes, I am. She's very special to me. She just suddenly disappeared, you know? Ever since she left her post, I've been looking for her these past months," Hilbert added tiredly. "Was it Hilda?" Nate asked. "Yes. I'm looking for her, and still am. She likes battles, that's why I went here in the first place," Hilbert replied. "Ask around here. Maybe one of the gym leaders spotted her already," Nate suggested. "Sorry, little buddy, but I tried that. They've seen neither hide nor tail of her. I better go now. It's pretty late. See ya!" Hilbert shouted while walking back to Clay's house. "Good luck in finding her!" Nate replied. He then felt the breeze around him. "Hmm…it's fall."

* * *

"So, did you find her? She's nowhere to be found in Driftveil. I looked everywhere. Hotels, the gym, the market, even Charles the Heartbreaker! Nope. ." Clay said gruffly. "No, she's also not in the PWT. Well, I have to leave now. Thanks for letting me stay," Hilbert said. "I'm sure you could find her. Very sure." Clay added, as Hilbert walked towards Nimbasa City.


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Sorry for the late update, folks! Had a lot of stuff to do, what with 6 projects due over the last few weeks, and our 1st Term finals this week. Anyway, here's the sixth chapter!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon.**

* * *

_**Fall**_

Ahh, Nimbasa. The heart of entertainment in Unova (if not the entire Game-verse). The size alone would make searching for something or someone very hard, considering the number of people living in the city. And if you're looking for a very elusive girl you haven't quite seen in a long time, it would be very hard indeed.

Hilbert has been (literally, actually) combing the entire world in search of Hilda. He has gone to the many neighboring regions of Unova and their respective cities and towns, checking every nook and cranny. One might even say that he has gone into uncharted space, much like the Enterprise-D in '_Q Who_'. But, Hilbert believes that Hilda is somewhere in Unova, for her XTransceiver actually rings when he tries to contact her, since XTransceivers only work in Unova.

Hilbert has gone to Nimbasa not to search for Hilda, but rather, to rest, and to hear a report from Elesa about Hilda on her end. (I wonder why they don't just call each other, but hey, I'm the author.)

Deciding that he would visit Elesa later after he's gone around the place doing something painstakingly not related to Hilda, he heads towards the Ferris Wheel first, oblivious to what fate is about to do that will cause him a huge pain in the ass.

Just as Hilbert makes a turn to the street headed towards the Ferris Wheel, something –or rather, _someone_- bumps into him.

Hilbert landed on the concrete pavement of the street and exclaimed, while rubbing his head, "Ow! Hey, watch where you're-"

"I'm so so so so so so so so so so so so so so sorry!"

Hilbert stopped rubbing his head, and took notice of the voice. He recognized that voice. And the way that person would add so many conjunctions just to emphasize her point…

"B-Bianca?" Hilbert asked.

"Hilbert? What are you doing here? OH, I'M SO SOR-"

"It's OK, Bianca," Hilbert said, deliberately cutting off Bianca's second round of apologies.

After picking themselves up, they both headed to the Ferris Wheel, talking about the things that's been keeping them busy for a while now.

* * *

"Hey, Bianca, have you seen Hilda somewhere?" Hilbert suddenly inquired.

"Hilda? Not really. I haven't really left Juniper's lab for a while." Bianca's response made Hilbert look a little more sad. Bianca took notice of this and said, "What is it Hilbert? C'mon, maybe I can help you!"

Hilbert sighs. He says in response, "Hilda's been 'missing' for a while now, and I haven't seen her since. I tried calling her, but she isn't answering…"

Noticing her childhood friend's mood, Bianca quickly says, "Well, don't give up on your search for her! If there's anything good I know about you, it's that you don't give up so easily on your dreams!"

"Heh heh, that's true. Thanks for the pep talk, Bianca. It was helpful."

"No problem! If you need anything, just give me a ring!" Bianca happily replied.

After saying their farewells to one another, Hilbert decided that he'll go to Elesa first and go have fun later.

As Bianca is walking back to where she was supposed to go, the light breeze of fall faintly touched everyone in the street.

* * *

**See Bianca's line, "just give me a ring"? I actually took that from a game that I've been playing for a while. If you know which character said this, add that to your review! To give you guys a hint, it's a PS3 game that came out on June 2008!**


	7. Chapter 7

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Pokemon. If I did, Hilbert and Hilda would have personalities.**

_**Fall**_

* * *

And as Hilbert was walking towards the Pokemon Center, he received a phone call. It was N. He somehow obtained Hilbert's number and got an Xtransciever.

"Hilbert, where are you?" N asked.

Hilbert replied, "I'm near the Pokemon Center in Nimbasa."

"Great, meet you there."

And as Hilbert approached the Pokemon Center, he wondered how did N do in his journey. He did miss the Eastern part of Center Unova. He missed the Routes along the way, and he wonders whether Hilda was there, and if he should go there. But for now, he had to go to the Pokemon Center in Nimbasa to meet N. He hasn't met N since he left the Pokemon League to search for Hilda. He wanted to grill him on what he found since then. That green-haired mysterious man has to at least have a clue, right?

Hilbert entered the Pokemon Center. He saw N, twiddling his thumbs and spacing out. As it seems like he didn't notice him, he snuck up on him and tapped his shoulder.

"AHHHHHHHH! IswearIdidn'teatthecookiesinthecookiejarConcordiaI didn'tIswearitwasZorua! NO! NO! NO! NOOOOOO!" N sputtered, clearly disturbed from his spacing out by Hilbert's surprise tap.

"Calm down, N. It's me, Hilbert!" Hilbert said, after silently thinking "Mamma mia!"

"Oh, for a minute there, I thought you were one of Team Plasma's goddesses. They're scary. Very very scary. Truly horrifying. Especially over cookies." N calmly stated without any sense of embarrasment over his outburst. Well, actually, he had a tinge of fear over the Team Plasma Goddesses and a sense of longing over the cookie jar in his voice.

"Umm...okay." Hilbert deadpanned. "So what did you want me for?"

"I am here to congratulate you on your win. It was masterful. Also, I have not found any sign of Hilda. I searched the Eastern side of Unova already. I trust that you would have a sign, I suppose?" N inquired.

"I went through most of the western side of Unova. Nothing either. Not even from Clay. Met a promising trainer and looked at Lentimas for a bit. Still nothing." Hilbert exasperatedly replied.

"Did you call her?" N asked.

"I tried for the last few days. Still nothing."

"Call her now. She might answer."

And so, Hilbert made another attempt to call Hilda.

Brrrrt…

Brrrrt…

* * *

Somewhere in Unova, an Xtransciever buzzed against a table. The owner scrunched up her face in a frown. She was visibly annoyed, yet her eyes told a different story. She was hopeful, for the caller was paying her attention. She was annoyed, for he always called her. Yet, she's also angry. To who is this girl angry? She's angry against herself, that's the answer. She's angry against herself, as she can't answer his calls. She just can't. She was worried that it would be someone else. She was worried that, in the end, the caller would just tell her to go back to work. She was worried that he didn't actually love her. She worried that his calls were just to ascertain where she was. She was never going to tell anyone where she was. She lost the will to battle when he retired out of active competition. This girl was a conflicted person, wanting to answer the call, yet not wanting to answer the call. She quit her position even though she still felt the excitement coming from the heat of battle. Without him, she simply lost the will to battle. She then decided from her "disappearance" to move back to her hometown without telling anyone, save for a few friends who live there anyways. They swore to her to keep her secret, away from the paparazzi or any other reporter. She wanted to be a recluse, for without him, what is life to battle for? She knew she would be putting her skills to waste, but it's her way to cope with the situation. She wanted him back in her life, to be close to her like back then. She could have just called him, but there was this irrational fear. "What if he's in a relationship already? What if he's enjoying his life in Aspertia? I heard it was great, in comparison to Nuvema. It has great amenities without much rent," she thought. The kicker was, she thought that she would be interrupting his life. She thought that it would be very selfish of her to call. She thought that he might have work to do. She thought that she herself was a bother, a little insignificant thing in his life. She continued to sulk about those thoughts. Her thoughts then snapped back to the ringing Xtransciever. She was thinking whether to answer it or not. She then decided.

She will answer.

"Hello?" the voice said.

"Hilda! You finally answered!" Hilbert excitedly answered.

N was looking at him weird, but then N realized what just occurred. He smiled sincerely and went back to spacing out.

"Yeah…" Hilda faintly answered.

"Hilda, Hilda, Hilda… Finally… Anyways, I went through most of Unova to find you! From the Pokemon League, I braved most of Unova and their dangers to try to find you. I even fought at the Pokemon World Tournament," Hilbert breathlessly told her.

"I know. I saw," She curtly replied. "I see that you are still using your Ground-type based team? You did great."

"You really think so?" Hilbert inquired.

"Yeah…" Hilda wistfully replied.

"I'm so worried about you. I thought you were kidnapped by things. Like ninjas, I guess. So where are you exactly?" Hilbert asked.

"That, I cannot tell, but it is a place close to both our hearts. And when you reach there, could we battle?" Hilda requested.

"Sure. But why do you sound so depressed? It's like something was taken from you, and you're in withdrawal."

"That, I can only tell after our battle. Okay?" Hilda replied.

"Okay… So, see you there?"

"Yes."

"But wait, I still have a question!"

Beep!

Beep!

* * *

The call seems to have been abruptly stopped. On the other side of the call, Hilda removed her finger from the button. She was blushing furiously and her heartbeat was pounding fast. A smile was on her face.

Hilbert sighed and said, "Speaking of explanations…" and turned to N. He then tapped him on his shoulder.

"Ah… huh?" N groggily mumbled.

"You managed to fall asleep there, man. Now, why did you fly away? Why did you go around Unova?" Hilbert queried to N, who still was drooling sleepily.

"Oh, I was…umm…searching for myself. Yeah! I was searching for myself!" N replied quickly, like there was something to hide. And yes, there was something to hide, as he flew because he enjoyed it. He liked the wind, as it matched his spirit. Even though he was raised in solitude, he liked to go around, thus showing the inner spirit of curiosity in him. Thankfully, for N, Hilbert didn't press him further about it. Instead, he asked him something else.

"So, I never got what N stands for. Is it what, the set of Natural Numbers?" Hilbert asked.

"My full name is Natural Harmonia Gropius. Now…I must fly." N replied. He went out of the Pokemon Center and flew away, looking like he had no assistance in flying. He actually had a Pidove lifting him up. All this flabbergasted Hilbert. It confounded him enough to make him forget his reaction towards N's real name.

He decided to go back to the Ferris Wheel. That was where Hilbert and Hilda stayed for a while anyways. He remembered it went with him and Hilda riding, as it was tall. While up, they were alone. Hilbert remembered the atmosphere was tense and that Hilda was blushing furiously. He decided not to talk back then, as talking would have made things more awkward. Still, he thought about where Hilda might be. She did say that she was somewhere in "a place close to both our hearts". If it wasn't the Ferris Wheel, he decided to ask for help. Specifically, he decided to try to find Elesa and ask her about it.

As he was moving towards the gym, he found something. It was a lost Xtransciever. He called a number there that seemed like it was a voice only backup. He then saw Nate. He went to him and left him the Xtransciever. It was up to him on how to proceed, as he was focused on only once thing, to find Hilda. He left Nate with a very awkward situation in his hands.

As Hilbert was going to the gym, he thought, "Why is Bianca wearing Cheren's glasses? I think they're really the same, as the glasses have a specific sheen to it." He made a mental note to ask her as he entered the gym.

An attendant approached Hilbert when he entered the gym and said to him that the new gym is further in. Hilbert thought, "New gym?" He entered the new gym to see it was…a catwalk. It was a catwalk, flashing the figure of the presumably new gym leader on the giant screen. Her eyes were wide, and her hair was black. Her outfit looked like a Mareep, with yellow wool, in the eyes of Hilbert. So, Hilbert approached her. "Maybe she's sharp enough to figure it out. Elesa was, although she kept on telling bad jokes," he thought. The presumably new leader looked more relatable to, and also more outgoing than Elesa. Hilbert was in for a huge surprise based on who the leader actually is.

"Hey, Hilbert!" the presumably new leader greeted him.

"Do I know you?" Hilbert exchanged.

"What do you mean you don't know me? It's me, Elesa! I changed my image from the cold blonde thin stunner to this new, more model-friendly figure!" Elesa explained.

As the realization hit Hilbert, he began to nosebleed. He knelt down and held his head as if he had a splitting headache. He began to wonder if he and everything was a lie, when Elesa suddenly knelt down in front of him. She stared into his eyes and shouted to get his attention. He figured out that Elesa is Elesa, and has always been Elesa.

"O…Okay…So, could you help me with this. I'm looking from Hilda." Hilbert started.

"Yeah, I've heard from Skyla. In fact, she was the first one I suggested this change to! We're close." Elesa interjected.

"Well, anyways. I need help with this. I called her recently, and she said that she's in 'a place close to both our hearts' and I don't know what that means." Hilbert said.

"Do you know where most of your life with her occurred? Where most of her life occurred? You guys are childhood friends, right? So, if both of you lived in Nuvema since you childhood, maybe that's the place. Maybe she's in Nuvema." Elesa stated.

"Nuvema… Nuvema…Nuvema… Makes sense," Hilbert thoughtfully added.

"So, should I tell the League about it?" Elesa asked.

"Nah, I don't think she would like it," Hilbert answered.

"Well, okay then. Take care! I'll be rooting for you!" Elesa added.

"You too! You're a model, right? I guess you're on the right track. I don't know modeling, but I know that you're beautiful." Hilbert blustered.

"Aww, thanks!" Elesa gushed,

Hilbert then exited the gym. As he walked out, he saw Nate talking to the lost Xtransciever he found. After the call, Hilbert asked who it was. By the look of Nate, Hilbert recognized that the person sounded like she was in the entertainment business. Nate was flustered, and began to walk away, as the person had to constantly be talked to, so she could get back her Xtransciever when she had the time.

Hilbert went back to his journey. He found out from Elesa that Hilda might be in Nuvema. He walked outside the gates of Nimbasa, with sparkles in his eyes. He was hopeful, after going through most of Unova.

* * *

**A/N: Words cannot express how disappointed I am in myself. This story is long overdue, all because of writer's block. Anyways, please review!**


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